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The Monster Energy Aftershock Festival is coming back to California this year.

The annual festival is scheduled to be held October 13 and 14 at Sacramento’s Discovery Park. Now in its seventh year, the festival will be headlined this year by System of a Down, Alice in Chains and Deftones. This year marks the first time that System of a Down has performed at the festival.

Along with being the band’s first year at the festival, System of a Down’s performance at the Aftershock Festival will also be the band’s first announced U.S. appearance in three years. It is also part of the band’s 20th anniversary celebration of its landmark self-titled album’s release.

While System of a Down, Alice in Chains and Deftones are the two-day festival’s planned headliners, they are not the only bands on the bill. Also scheduled for the performance are Godsmack (which is currently touring in support of its brand new album When Legends Rise), Incubus, Seether, Jonathan Davis (whose latest solo album Black Labyrinth is scheduled for release May 25), At The Drive-In and Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators (who are currently working on their latest album) as well as Bullet For my Valentine (whose new album Gravity is scheduled to be released June 29), Sevendust (whose album All I See Is War is out now) and many more. The full lineup for this year’s festival is noted below.

Beverages will be available from a variety of vendors, including vendors for festival-goers 21 and older. Those vendors include: Caduceus Vellars & Merkin Vineyards Wine Garden (owned by Tool/A Perfect Circle/ Puscifer front man Maynard James Keenan) and the Belching Beaver Bar (featuring drafts from the Vista, CA brewer including the Phantom Bride IPA, a collaboration with the Defones). Mrkt N Jolt will also be on site, offering hot coffee, cold brew and other items.

As if the music, food and drink isn’t enough for festival-goers, this year’s festival will also offer lots of entertainment options. Those options include the Monster Energy Experience, which gives audiences the chance to meet and greet the bands while also sampling the festival’s various offered drinks, The Music Experience, which is an interactive exhibit and music instrument retailer. Non-profit animal rescue organization Take Me Home will also be on-site along with Dyin 2 Live/FXck Cancer, a wish-granting organization. Fans can buy music from the festival’s bands on site at the f.y.e. Fan Experience.

Festival-goers can win prizes and check out the latest products from Zippo Lighters at Zippo Encore and charge their phones at SWFTCharge.

Tickets and VIP packages for this year’s festival are on-sale now. Prices are listed below. Service fees on all ticket purchases include a $0.50 charity fee for the T.J. Martell Foundation, a foundation aimed at researching and fighting cancer. Active military personnel get discounts on their tickets through GovX.

Initial ticket prices will be as follows:

2-Day Weekend General Admission: starting at $149.50 + fees

2-Day Weekend VIP: starting at $299.50 + fees

Single Day General Admission: starting at $89.50 + fees

Single Day VIP: starting at $179.50 + fees

VIP tickets include: VIP entrance lanes to the venue, shaded VIP hang area with seating for dining, a VIP-only viewing area of main stage, video screens featuring a live feed of main stage inside the VIP hang area, upgraded food and drink selections, dedicated VIP restrooms and commemorative VIP Monster Energy Aftershock laminate.

A park & ride shuttle is being offered again for this year’s festival as parking at Discovery park is very limited. Every ticket includes parking at Sleep Train Arena and non-stop shuttle directly to the festival site.

The Monster Energy Aftershock Festival is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents and fueled by Monster Energy. It is sponsored by f.y.e., Coors Light, Jack Daniels, Zippo Encore, The Music Experience, SWFTCharge, Fxck Cancer, Ace of Spades, Take Me Home and Belching Beaver. More sponsors will be announced later.

More information on this year’s Monster Energy Aftershock Festival is available online now at:

Late this past April, hard rock outfit Corroded released its latest album Defcon Zero. The band’s first new album in five years and its fourth full-length studio recording, it is a recording that could very possibly put the hard rock community in whole on alert. That is because it presents a combination of music and lyrics throughout its 11-song, 50-minute run time that challenges even the best of the big names. The record’s opener, ‘Carry Me My Bones’ clearly supports that statement. ‘A Note To Me,’ which comes late in the record’s run, also supports that statement in its own way, too. It will be discussed later. ‘Fall of a Nation’ is yet another example of what makes Corroded’s latest effort a work that is anything but corroded itself. Rather, it is another example of what makes the record a solid, strong new offering from one of hard rock’s best kept secrets. It joins with the previously noted songs and the rest of the album’s offerings to make the record in whole an offering that is certain to put the hard rock community in whole on alert.

Defcon Zero is a strong and solid return for Corroded. That is especially considering the fact that it is the first record in five years from the Swedish hard rock outfit. From start to finish, the band presents in this new offering a record that is certain to put the hard rock community in whole on alert. That statement is supported in part in the album’s opener ‘Carry Me My Bones.’ The song’s musical arrangement instantly conjures thoughts of Dry Kill Logic’s best works. That is evident as the song starts with a brooding, acoustic arrangement before gradually building into a full-on, guitar-driven assault. What is really interesting is the heavy buildup to that assault conjures in itself, thoughts of some of Slayer’s best works. The combination of front man Jens Westin’s vocal delivery and the song’s musical elements throughout the rest of the song maintain that previously noted comparison to Dry Kill Logic. The whole of that arrangement is only one part of what makes this song stand as an example of Defcon Zero’s impressive nature. The song’s lyrical content is just as important to discuss as the song’s musical arrangement in examining what makes it stand out.

The musical arrangement at the center of ‘Carry Me My Bones’ is in itself a key part of what makes this song stand out as an example of what makes Defcon Zero stand out. That is because it easily challenges hard rock’s top names from start to finish. Its lyrical content is just as important to discuss as its musical arrangement in examining its whole. Westin said in an interview about the album’s lyrics “When it comes to the lyrics, I want everyone to make up their own opinion to what the songs are about.” He went on to compare interpreting the album’s lyrics to comparing a book to its cinematic counterpart. Keeping that in mind, the lyrical content at the center of this song definitely proves to be interesting. Westin sings here, “I’ve been awake/For days/On my way to hell/I’m not going to lay down and die before I get there…What you believe is more than you know/Carry me my tired bones/Far away/So far away from secrets/A million miles away/Carry me my tired bones.” He goes on to sing in the song’s second verse, “I was stuck/In-between/No place and nowhere….” before he and his band mates—Tomas Andersson (guitar), Bjarne Elvsgard (bass) and Per Solang (drums)—reprise the song’s chorus time to finish off the song. Noting again that Westin leaves the lyrics’ interpretation to listeners’ own thoughts, this critic’s take on the song’s lyrical content is that it comes across as an introspective rumination of someone working through a very difficult time. That is inferred in the song’s lead verse. The hell in question is clearly metaphorical. The subject’s mind has been racing, but that subject is still determined not to give up in whatever difficult situation is presented. As Westin’s subject sings “carry me my tired bones,” one can interpret that perhaps the song’s subject is saying he or she wants to get away from everything; all of the negatives surrounding him or her. The song’s second verse continues to infer that same message in this critic’s own interpretation. It would be interesting to learn the true message in the song’s lyrical content. That aside, the combination of that seeming message couples quite well with the song’s musical arrangement to make for a song that is a powerful first impression for the band this time out. It is just the start, too. ‘A Note To Me,’ which comes late in the album’s run, is another solid addition to the album’s whole.

‘Carry Me My Bones’ is a strong first impression from Corroded on its latest new album. That is due to the combination of its musical and lyrical content. The two elements together make the song a clear example of what makes Defcon Zero stand out in whole. It is just one of the songs that shows what makes the album stand out, too. ‘A Note To Me’ is another example of what makes the record in whole stand out. As with the album’s opener, that is due at least in part to its musical arrangement. The musical arrangement here is a stark contrast to that of ‘Carry Me My Bones.’ It is a deeply emotional, guitar-driven composition that (and some audiences will call this musical heresy) conjures thoughts of Theory of a Deadman and Nickelback. Yes, it seems damning. But the reality is that when one compares this composition to that at the center of ‘Carry Me My Bones,’ it is actually a good thing that such a comparison can be made. That is because it shows in its own right the reach of the band’s talent, sounds and influences. Westin’s vocal delivery throughout even conjures thoughts of Nickelback front man Chad Kroeger through his delivery. Again, some might see such a comparison as musical heresy of sorts. The reality once more though, is that it shows the band’s ability to reach into any rock and hard rock sub-genre. That is a compliment of the highest caliber to the band. Of course the song’s musical arrangement is only part of what makes it stand out. Its lyrical content is just as important to discuss as its musical arrangement.

The musical arrangement at the center of ‘A Note To Me’ is in itself a key component of its overall presentation. When set against the composition at the center of ‘Carry Me My Bones,’ it shows even more why Defcon Zero stands out among this year’s field of new rock and hard rock records. The song’s musical arrangement is only one part of what makes the song stand out. Its lyrical content, which is just as brooding as its musical arrangement is just as important to discuss as that musical content. Westin sings here in the song’s lead verse, “This bitter pill I got/It turns out to be hard to swallow/I’d make my head whole/But everything inside feels hollow/I am the haunting of the day that never came/Yeah, what a shame.” He goes on to sing in the song’s second verse, “The truth hurts that I know/And now it’s out for everyone to see/I’m just a coward/Who hates everything about me/Everything I’ve done was a lie/It’s harder to cry.” This comes across as someone who is confessing a major hidden truth to someone else. As the song progresses through its chorus, it can be inferred that the someone in question is obviously someone close to the subject. What is interesting is that Westin doesn’t point out if that person is male, female, young or old. That in itself is a really powerful statement. When one really thinks deeply about this matter, the confession could work in any of those situations. That is especially the case as Westin sings in the song’s final moments, “My only hope is that you will forgive/And that some day/Some day you will forget.” Regardless of whether the situation presented here is between friends, family or some other close person, the confession by the song’s subject is powerful. It is the kind of statement made in similar songs by the aforementioned mainstream friendly acts; the kind of statement that, when coupled with the song’s musical arrangement, is made even more powerful. The combination of those two elements makes the song in whole a truly powerful work that once again can rival songs from the bands already noted. Keeping that in mind, it is one more work included in this record that shows why this record stands out among its counterparts both mainstream and independent. It still is not the last of the songs that serves to show what makes Defcon Zero stand out. ‘Fall of a Nation’ is one more example of what makes this record one that will put the rock community in whole on alert.

‘Carry Me My Bones’ and ‘A Note To Me’ are both solid examples of what makes Defcon Zero a strong new effort from Corroded. That is because they show the wide reach of the album’s sound, proving its appeal to metal purists and mainstream rock fans alike. The songs’ lyrical content adds just as much depth to their whole. While both songs’ musical and lyrical content serves to make them clear examples of the album’s strength, they are only two examples of that strength. ‘Fall of a Nation’ just as clearly proves to be another example of said strength. That is evident first through its adrenaline-fueled, guitar and drum-driven musical arrangement, which mixes elements of Hellyeah, Soil and other similar acts for a whole that will instantly have listeners’ horns in the air. Its lyrical content will keep listeners just as engaged as Westin seemingly comments on…well…the downfall of a nation. Being that there is so much turmoil the world over and that Westin and company don’t necessarily point out which nation is being addressed, the commentary could, in reality, apply to the United States, any Middle Eastern Nation or other nation. There is mention of “seeing the flames rising,” “bones grinding,” “ashes in the air” and other rather interesting visuals. This could be a commentary of what could come to any nation if said nation(s) don’t get things in check and soon. The added mention of “we are the ones who are watching everything from high up above/We are the ones who idle standing by as things burn” adds to the power of that message. It is almost as if the song’s subject is saying, “we’re going to stand by and let the world destroy itself and this is what we see happening.” It is a powerful, possible statement. The power in the song’s musical arrangement expertly captures the energy in that supposed statement, too. Keeping that in mind, the whole of that musical and lyrical content makes this song clearly one more example of what makes Defcon Zero such a powerful new offering from Corroded. It is hardly the last song that serves to exemplify what makes this album stand out. ‘Gun and a Bullet,’ ‘Burn It To The Ground,’ and ‘Vessels of Hate’ each do their own part to show what makes this record stand out, too. All things considered, the songs noted and not prove Defcon Zero a record that will put the rock community in whole on alert.

Defcon Zero is a powerful return for Corroded. It is a record that proves audiences’ five-year wait for the band’s next album was well worth it. What’s more it is a record that is certain to put the rock community in whole on alert. That is because it is such a strong new effort from start to finish both in regards to its musical arrangements and lyrical content. All things considered, this record is one that deserves a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new hard rock albums. It is available now. More information on Defcon Zero is available online now along with all of Corroded’s latest news and more at:

The Wacken Open Air Festival is one of the most renowned hard rock concert festivals if the music industry. The festival started 26 years ago in the city after which it is named. Late this summer UDR Music celebrated the festivals 25th anniversary – marked in 2015 – with the release of the festival’s 25th anniversary recording. Considering that the recording presents the show lineup from the festival’s 25th anniversary, its title is a little bit misleading. That aside, it is still an enjoyable experience for any purist member of the metal nation worldwide. That is due in no small part to the lineup presented in the recording. This will be discussed shortly. The bands’ performances are just as important to note in the recording’s presentation as is the recording’s presented lineup. That will be discussed later. The platforms on which the recording has been made available rounds out the most important of the recording’s elements. Each element is clearly important in its own right to the recording’s presentation. All things considered, Live at Wacken 2015 – 26 Years Louder Than Hell is one of this year’s top new overall live recordings.

Live at Wacken 2015 – ­26 Years Louder Than Hell is one of 2016’s top new overall live recordings. It is hardly the first live recording that the festival’s organizers have ever released. Even with that in mind, it is still an enjoyable recording for the festival’s fans and for the purist metal legions around the world. That is due in no small part to the recording’s featured performer list. A total of 107 bands performed on Wacken 2015 between the Bullhead City Circus, Party Stage and double main stage. It goes without saying that considering that mass of metal, there’s no way that UDR or the fesitval’s organizers could have possibly featured every one of those bands. Regardless, the featured performer list included in this recording is still impressive in its own right. That list includes the likes of Judas Priest, Danko Jones, Uli Jon Roth, In Flames, Annihilator and so many others. Simply put, the perfomer list featured in this recording pulls from a number of metal’s sub genres and from so many eras of metal’s history. It goes to show the respect that the festival’s organizers and fans have for metal, its history and culture. Sure, it would have been nice to have Dream Theater included in the featured performer list, or maybe Hellyeah, or even Prong (yes, even Prong performed at Wacken 2015). But the performer list included in this recording is still impressive in its own right in the end. Considering this, it should be clear why it is such an important piece of the recording’s presentation. It is just one of the important elements to note. The featured acts’ stage presence in their performances is just as important to note here as the acts themselves.

The acts that are featured in UDR Music’s new Wacken Open Air Festival recording are important in their own right to the recording’s overall presentation. That is because while hardly every one of the bands that performed at the festival, they represent a wide swatch of the metal community and its history. That means the recording will reach just as wide of an audience. While the recording’s featured performer list is clearly an important piece of the recording’s presentation, it is hardly the recording’s only important element. The bands’ stage presence in their performances plays an important part in the recording’s presentation, too. Rob Halford and company prove the importance of the bands’ performances right from the recording’s outset. They take the stage and own it with ease. Halford is at the top of his game both in terms of his vocal talent and his very presence. Glenn Tipton is just as enjoyable to take in as he works his way through the band’s performance of ‘Painkiller. On another note, the members of Running Wild are just as impressive as they work through the high-octane ‘Under The Jolly Roger.’ Skindred’s performance of ‘Proceed With Caution’ will have home audiences on their feet just as easily as it did the audience in attendance of the festival. That is because of the fire and energy exuded by the band throughout its performance. It is just one more example of the importance of the bands’ performance to the festival recording’s presentation. One could just as easily cite the performances from My Dying Bride, In Flames, and Death Angel as proof of that importance, too. All things considered, it is safe to say that every single performance featured in this recording will keep home audiences just as entertained and engaged as the audiences that got to enjoy the festival in person. Even with all of this in mind, the bands’ performances still are not the last element to note in examining this recording. The platforms on which the recording has been made available are just as important to note as the previously discussed elements.

The bands that were featured in Live at Wacken 2015 – 26 Years Louder Than Hell and their performances are both key elements in examining the festival’s recording. The featured performer list presents the past, present and future of metal while also presenting a solid cross-section proving what has made the festival so respected for now 26 years. The featured bands’ performances are so important to note because they will keep home audiences just as entertained and engaged as the audiences who had the honor of experiencing the festival in person. While both elements are clearly important both alone and collectively to the recording’s presentation, they are not its only important elements. The platforms on which the recording has been made available are just as important to note as the previously noted elements. Audiences will be happy to know that the recording has been made available on separate 2 DVD/2 CD and 2 BD/2 CD combo pack. The DVD set averages approximately $22 and the BD set $23. Considering that, the various platforms and their prices are relatively affordable for audiences. The only downside to the sets is that their set lists don’t exactly match. Not every song featured in the recording’s DVD and BD presentation is included in the recording’s CD platform. To that end, it is the recording’s only major negative, which is actually a good thing. That means that the recording’s varied platforms and other discussed elements more than make up for that one negative, as unavoidable as it is to note. All things considered, Live at Wacken 2015 – 26 Years Louder Than Hell proves in the bigger picture to be one of 2016’s top new live recordings as well as one of the year’s top new live DVD/BDs and CDs. It is available now in stores and online.

Live at Wacken 2015 – 26 Years Louder Than Hell is one of 2016’s top new live recordings. That is the case even considering that it does have at least one unavoidable negative. The recording’s featured performer list and the featured acts’ performances partner with the varied platforms on which the recording has been made available to make the recording an enjoyable experience for any purist member of the metal nation worldwide. It is available now in stores and online. More information on this and other titles from UDR Music is available online now at:

One of the latest additions to Dave Ellefson’s EMP Label Group, the band released its new album Illuminator this past Friday, June 3rd. The album was released via eOne in the United States and Triple Vision Entertainment in Japan. It is schedule for release later this year in Europe via SPV. The band unveiled the video for the album’s lead single ‘Everything You Love Will Someday Die’ earlier this spring. The video is streaming online now via YouTube. It features footage of the band’s members and fans singing the song.

Courtesy: EMP Label Group

Front man Evan Rodaniche discussed the video in a recent interview. He noted the song’s family roots in the interview and the video’s recording process. “This song is dedicated to my father, who passed away about a month ago after a two year battle with cancer,” he said. “But even when I first wrote these lyrics at the onset of his terminal diagnosis as a sort of comforting mantra, in the back of my mind I believed my dad was indestructible. I never thought I’d be adding an “in loving memory” dedication at the end of this video. But then he was gone. And that’s what this is all about. We spend our modern lives wrapped up in our first world problems, completely disconnected with the natural cycles of the planet around us.”

In discussing the video’s production, Rodaniche noted the cameras that were used and the band’s general approach to making the clip. We shot the video DIY with a couple Canon DSLR cameras, a black sheet in our rehearsal room and about forty non-actor friends, fans, and family who showed up one sunny Los Angeles afternoon in 2015 to mouth the lyrics to a song they’d never heard. We aimed to bring home the message that no matter who you are we’re all in this together.” He went on to not the song’s roots and sound in his discussion, too noting, “As for the song itself, it’s a little bit of old school thrash mixed with something more melodic and a little piano and acoustic guitar wankery to push it over the 6 minute epic-metal-song mark. (Yes, there’s a radio edit.) He linked this in to a discussion on [Dave] Ellefson discovering Cage 9 through ‘Everything You Love Will Someday Die.’ I was the 14 year old kid running around with a worn out cassette of Peace Sells in his Walkman, he said. “So having the dude that brought us pretty much THE most recognizable bass riff of my (and half the planet over 30’s) youth dig our band is a huge honor.” He went on further noting, “Cage 9 originated in Panama where I grew up playing in a band yet having pretty much never experienced famous bands performing live to learn from, not to mention any of our idols like Megadeth or Metallica. This definitely makes this chance to work with Dave in a mentor/label situation that much more amazing. Very excited to be releasing our new album Illuminator with EMP this summer.”

Ellefson shared his thoughts on the band and its song in a discussion of his own even echoing the Megadeth/Metallica influence in the band’s new single noted by Rodaniche. “Cage9 is definitely the real deal,” he said. When I first heard ‘Everything You Love Will One Day Die,’ it instantly struck me as the closest I’ve heard to a song with a true Metallica/Megadeth core, with the radio accessibility to really connect with a modern rock audience. And with the band’s history, and everything they’ve accomplished, they were a perfect fit for what we were doing at EMP.”

Since moving to Los Angeles the band has released a total of six albums and more than one hundred songs. One of those albums was completely in Spanish. The band has sold 25,000 copies of its albums worldwide in that time and played over 50 dates across America just last year. It has also toured Japan and Central America as direct opener for Ozzy Osbourne, Bad Religion, Seether, and In This Moment. The band has also shared stage time with the likes of Sevendust, Hellyeah, Karnivool, and others. Even Rodaniche himself spent some time in the past as a member of Powerman 5000. He also helped to co-write, record, and mix some of PM5K’s most recent albums. That isn’t Rodaniche’s only production credit. He also worked on ex-Flyleaf singer Lacey Sturm’s new album and work from Boy Hits Car, and others. As if all of this isn’t enough credit to Cage9, the band has also received glowing reviews from its much more well-known counterparts including: Pop Evil, Korn, Saving Abel, Asking Alexandria, Devil You Know, and 9Electric just to name a handful of acts.

More information on Cage9’s new album is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:

A rolling discounted Early Bird pre-sale for Weekend General Admission tickets begins this Tuesday, May 17th at 12pm CDT/1pm EDT. A very limited quantity of tickets will be available during this pre-sale. They can be purchased online at http://www.HoustonOpenAir.com and will only be available while supplies last. Their prices are noted below.

Early Bird #1: $89.50

Early Bird #2: $99.50

VIP weekend tickets will also be available at a cost of $234.50.

Public on-sale tickets will go on sale Friday, May 20th at 12pm CDT/1pm EDT. They will also be available for purchase online at http://www.HoustonOpenAir.com. Their prices are listed below.

A portion of all proceeds from ticket sales for the festival will go toward aiding the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund. The Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund was established by Houston’s mayor Sylvester Turner in order to accept donations for flood relief in the Houston community. This includes aiding victims of the flooding that stemmed from recent storms that hit the region. More information on The Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund is available online at http://www.houstonrecovers.org. Danny Hayes, CEO of Danny Wimmer Presents, spoke with the media recently. He discussed the timing of the festival’s announcement in relation to the city’s recovery from said storms as well as the motivation for teaming with Mayor Turner in his recovery efforts. “Houston Open Air has been in the works for almost a year now,” he said. It’s awkward to announce a major music festival in a city that has experienced such recent hardship and, in fact, we delayed our announcements out of respect for what Houston has endured. But at the same time, our festivals are about highlighting the strengths (or sometimes the needs) of our host city. There’s no more important way to do that right now than to support Mayor Turner’s efforts to help Houston recover from this spring’s flooding and we will be incorporating this message throughout our launch campaign.”

Danny Wimmer is the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents. He shared his thoughts on the logistics of the concert’s location, its lineup, and more in his discussion with the press. “Houston is one of the country’s biggest rock markets and, when combined with the impressive food scene happening here, it’s a natural location for a DWP festival,” he said. “We’re thrilled to have such a diverse first-year lineup that includes Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains and Chevelle. With the inclusion of an incredible food experience and the Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Row, we are kicking off a powerhouse experience that will live in the market for many years to come!”

The Houston Open Air Festival’s band lineup is just part of what audiences have to look forward to this year. There will also be a special food and drink experience for fans who attend. This includes the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Whiskey Row and a massive Gourmet Man Food Experience The brands featured in the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Whiskey Row include: Jack Daniel’s Black Label, Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Old Forester, and Woodford Reserve. The complete lineup and menus for the Gourmet Man Food experience will be announced soon.

The Monster Energy Rock Allegiance Festival is returning to Pennsylvania this summer. It will take place Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th at Talen Energy Stadium (formerly PPL Park), home of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, in Chester, PA, which is just outside of Philadelphia. It will feature a lineup of more than 35 bands. That lineup includes but is not limited to: Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains, Slayer, The Offspring, Breaking Benjamin, Volbeat, Chevelle, The Cult, The Pretty Reckless, Pierce The Veil, Of Mice & Men, Ghost, Anthrax, Killswitch Engage, Chevy Metal, Baroness, Hellyeah, Sevendust, Motionless In White, Buckcherry, Trivium, Avatar, Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots, Jim Breuer and the Loud & Rowdy, Sick Puppies, The Amity Affliction, letlive., Neck Deep, Skindred, KYNG, Young Guns, Crobot, Devour The Day, Twelve Foot Ninja, Dinosaur Pile Up, Death Angel and Hundredth.

A rolling discounted Early Bird on-sale for weekend General Admission tickets and VIP passes starts this Tuesday, May 10th at 12pm EDT and runs through Friday, May 13th at 10am EDT. Early Bird tickets and VIP passes will be available in a very limited quantity. The prices for each is noted below.

Zippo 2-packs will also be available at a price of $550. They include 2-VIP weekend passes and 2 commemorative Zippos. Single-day admission and general weekend packages will go on full sale along with VIP packages beginning May 13th at 10am EDT. Prices will increase in the weeks leading up to the festival. Current prices are listed below.

GA Weekend: $129 floor, $99 stands

GA 4-Packs: $308

VIP Weekend: $219

VIP 2-Packs: $550

Single Day GA (stands): $44.50

Single Day VIP: $119.50

VIP packages for the festival include: Stadium-level VIP main stage viewing, floor-level VIP viewing area for the west main stage, dedicated entrance lanes into the festival, VIP area with shade and picnic tables, VIP restrooms, special food and beverage offerings (for additional purchase), and a commemorative VIP laminate.

The music is just one part of the experience that audiences will be able to enjoy at this year’s festival. Along with lots of great music there will also be loads of great food and drink, too. There will loads of dishes offered by some of Philadelphia’s eateries in the Gourmet Man Food experience. There will also be plenty of brews offered by breweries from across America. The culinary lineup for the Gourmet Man Food Experience currently features: Braz-B-Q, Chickie & Pete’s, The Cow & The Curd, Dos Hermanos, Dump ’n’ Roll, M.A.T.T.’s Gourmet Sliders, Mama’s Meatballs, Seoulfull Philly, Sum Pig and The Tot Cart. The breweries that will be at the festival include: Evolution Craft Brewing Co (Salisbury, MD), Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company (Dover, DE), New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, CO), Starr Hill Brewery (Crozet, VA), Tröegs Independent Brewing (Hershey, PA) and Victory Brewing Company (Downington, PA).

Danny Wimmer, head of Danny Wimmer Presents, recently discussed the festival’s return with the media. He discussed not only the festival’s return but its expansion to two days this year and expectations in general for this year’s event. “When we came to Philadelphia last year, we knew there was a demand for this kind of festival in the market, but the response exceeded our expectations,” he said. Growing to two days in our second year was an obvious decision, and we’re looking forward to giving fans an even better experience in 2016.”

Geoff Gordon is President of Live Nation Philadelphia. He echoed Wimmer’s sentiments in his thoughts on the festival’s return. “Last year’s Monster Energy Rock Allegiance was a huge success on so many levels,” he said. “We were proud to bring this venue their first ever concert; a record-setting, sold out smash hit. The audience had such a great time enjoying a unique experience of music and lifestyle — we knew in 2016 we could turn it up a notch!”

The Monster Energy Rock Allegiance Festival is presented by Danny Wimmer Presents, Live Nation, and Spectra at Talen Energy Stadium. It is sponsored by: Jack Daniel’s, Zippo Encore, The Music Experience, Take Me Home, and Fxck Cancer/Dyin2Live, with more to be announced. More information on the 2016 Monster Energy Rock Allegiance Festival is available online now at:

Bow down, metal nation. All Hail The Yeti has returned. And it has done so in grand fashion with its long-awaited sophomore album Screams From a Black Wilderness. The thirteen-song record is a musical offering that proves to be a solid follow-up to the band’s self-titled 2012 debut from beginning to end. That is thanks both to the song’s powerful musical arrangements and equally engaging campfire horror stories. Both elements combine within the course of each song to make Screams From a Black Wilderness a record that every metal purist should hear at least once if not more now that it is available. The album’s opener and lead single ‘Before The Flames’ is a good example of how that mix of music and lyrics makes this record such a solid return for All Hail The Yeti. ‘Witch Is Dead,’ the album’s midway point, is another piece that exemplifies the power of this record’s musical and lyrical material. It will be discussed later. ‘Let The Night Roar’ is one more example of that power. All three songs, when set against one another, paint a clear picture of the power of the album’s musical and lyrical content. Together with the rest of the album’s offerings, all thirteen songs make this fifty-nine minute record a collection of songs that is one more of 2016’s top new hard rock and metal records.

Four years removed from the release of its self-titled debut album All Hail The Yeti has returned with a new offering that actually bests that record. That is proven time and again throughout the course of the album’s thirteen songs and fifty-nine minute run time. Its opener and lead single ‘Before The Flames’ is proof of that in itself. This is thanks both to its musical arrangement and its lyrical content. In regards to the song’s musical content it is a piece that any fan of Hellyeah, Dry Kill Logic, Motionless in White and other acts of that ilk. The arrangement in question is a mid-tempo composition that is driven largely by its guitar line and drums. Front man Connor Garritty conjures thoughts of Hellyeah/Mudvayne front man Chad Gray with his vocal delivery. That adds even more punch to the song’s musical arrangement. It’s just one part of what makes this song proof of the album’s overall strength. The song’s lyrical content is just as important to the song as its musical makeup. Garritty noted in a recent interview that the album’s songs are lyrically based on well-known campfire horror stories. And the story behind this song is horror, needless to say. It centers on the story of an orphanage that caught fire and killed all of the children inside. It would be interesting to discover the roots of the story. Though, the story of Vermillion’s Gore Orphanage in Ohio seems to line up pretty well with this story. One part of the story even has the spirits of the children running through the woods, allegedly still on fire, screaming “Help Me” much as Garritty screams “Help Us” Save Us/Fire and flame are surrounding us.” The little girl telling her parents in a letter (that obviously never made it to them) of how the fire started makes the story even more painful to hear. That is not to say that there is any truth to the Ohio legend. But the two stories definitely do sound similar. Regardless of whether or not a relationship exists between that story and the story behind this song, it can still be said that the combination of the song’s story and its musical arrangement makes this song one of the album’s best and just one example of what makes Screams From a Black Wilderness a solid sophomore effort from All Hail The Yeti and a record that was well worth the wait.

‘Before The Flames’ is a good example of what makes All Hail The Yeti’s long-awaited sophomore album Screams From a Black Wilderness a solid sophomore effort from the Los Angeles, CA-based band. It shows just as much why the album was well worth the wait. While it is a good example of both, it is not the only good example of each. The album’s midpoint, ‘Witch Is Dead,’ is another example of what makes this record stand out. In terms of its musical content the influences of Dry Kill Logic and Hellyeah are clear and present throughout. That is especially the case in the song’s chorus in which Garritty and company chant, “Hey, hey the witch is dead/Which old witch/The wicked witch/Hey, hey the wicked witch is dead/Wake up/Your blood runs red/As it drips off of your head/Wake up/The f****** b**** is dead” against the song’s pounding drums and guitars. The chorus isn’t the only place in which those influences show themselves. They are just as evident throughout the song’s verses, too. Speaking of the song’s verses their content sounds pretty violent to say the least. However one must keep in mind here that ‘Witch Is Dead’, like the album’s other songs, is based on a classic campfire horror story. Considering this one can only wonder which story was the influence behind the song. That is because in today’s era it sadly sounds like way too many real life murder stories. Garrity sings here of a man who has perhaps murdered a woman. That is inferred as he screams, “It seems like lately there’s no more you and I/Will not take this anymore/I come to judge you f****** w****/I bet you die alone/There is no chance in this life you’re making/All alone/So stop breathing/You sucked up enough.” That’s just the song’s lead verse, too. Things don’t’ lighten up any in the song’s second verse. Garritty’s character screams here, “And now you’re mine/Your hands are tied and you’re squealin’ like a swine/It makes me smile/When I realize that I/Have you where I want you/I always knew it would end like this.” It gets even harsher in the song’s closing verse. That verse will be left for audiences to discover for themselves. But it goes without saying that whichever classic campfire story is the basis for this song, it definitely is a scary one. And that fear factor, when set against the song’s musical content, makes the song in whole a work that is just as nightmare-inducing as it is entertaining (thanks to its musical content). As crazy as it might seem, the mix of that fear factor and entertainment factor shows why the song in whole is another good example of what makes Screams From a Black Wilderness such a solid and welcome new return from All Hail The Yeti. It still is not the album’s only other example, either. ‘Let The Night Roar’ is one more example of what makes this record such a solid and welcome return for the band.

‘Before The Flames’ and ‘Witch Is Dead’ are both key examples of what makes All Hail The Yeti’s new album a solid and welcome return for the band. They are just a couple of examples of what makes it so solid and welcome. ‘Let The Night Roar’ is one more of the album’s strong points. The song’s musical arrangement sets its foundation. Its musical arrangement boasts a familiar heavy, chugging sound that is more akin to the likes of Crowbar, Down, and others of that ilk. In regards to its lyrical content it is obvious right from the song’s opening verse that the song is centered on the Jonestown Massacre. That is because Garritty screams right in the opening lines, “They were told to line up/And drink the glass of Flavor-Aid…would send them to an early grave.” He even makes light of Jones having a hurried, agitated sense about him when he told his followers to drink the juice and commit suicide, as soldiers were coming.” This depiction is spot on according to the story of what happened at Jonestown. What’s really scary here is that the band even gives voice to Jones’ followers as they tell Jones that they drink to make him happy. The way in which Garritty and company sing those lines makes the story so sad. That is because of the knowledge that they had been completely brainwashed by that madman. It also incorporates what can only be assumed to be audio of Jones talking to his followers in the course of the song in order to heighten the song’s impact. It does just that, too. That heightened impact, when set against the song’s heavy, chugging musical arrangement, once again shows why this composition is one of the album’s strongest points. When set alongside the likes of ‘Witch Is Dead’ and ‘Before The Flames’ all three songs join together to paint a very scary picture in the best way possible. They paint a picture of an album that will entertain listeners once more just as much as it will scare them with each of its songs’ stories. This applies just as much with the album’s remaining songs not noted here. All things considered the musical and lyrical material that makes up the body of this record shows it in whole to be a record that is a solid, welcome return from All Hail The Yeti and also one of the best new hard rock and metal albums of the year.

All Hail The Yeti’s new album Screams From a Black Wilderness is a solid, welcome return from the Los Angeles, CA-based metal outfit. It is also one of this year’s top new hard rock and metal records. That is thanks to stories that real or imagined are the stuff of nightmares. The musical foundation set by the song’s arrangements adds even more impact to the album. This applies not only to the songs noted in this review but to every one of the album’s featured offerings. All things considered Scenes From a Black Wilderness proves to be a solid, welcome return for All Hail The Yeti and one of the year’s top new hard rock and metal offerings. It is a record that will leave audiences and other bands bowing to the band as one of the metal community’s next big names. It is available now and can be downloaded direct online via iTunes and Amazon. More information on Screams From a Black Wilderness is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at: